Russia bans fan involved in Euro 2016 violence from World Cup matches

Russian fan group leader Alexander Shprygin has been denied a document required to attend World Cup matches, he said on Wednesday.

Shprygin, deported from France during the 2016 European Championship after violence flared, wrote on social media that his application for a World Cup fan ID had been rejected.

He told Reuters he had applied for a fan ID on Wednesday because he was planning to attend the tournament's opening match between Russia and Saudi Arabia on Thursday after being offered a ticket by friends.

But a minute later, he said, his application was rejected.

"I'm not really surprised," he said, adding that he had not been told the reason for the rejection. "If it wasn't for the Euro, maybe I could have a fan ID."

Russian authorities require World Cup ticket holders to obtain a fan ID, a document that proves the holder has been vetted and approved by security officials.

Russia's Ministry of Communications and Mass Media, which oversees the fan ID programme, did not reply to a request for comment.

Shprygin was among a group of Russian fans expelled from France after violent clashes before and during Russia's Euro 2016 match against England in Marseille. He managed to re-enter France later in the tournament, only to be expelled again.

The Russian Football Union severed its ties with Shprygin's organisation following the incident.

Last year Shprygin, whose name is not included on a Russian Interior Ministry blacklist, was granted a fan ID to attend the Confederations Cup, but it was revoked hours before the start of the opening match.